SIROP - Mauritius 1986/87 Issues
Brief history Although visited by Phoenicians, Malays and Arab sailors who navigated the Indian Ocean in the 9th century already knew about the Seychelles archipelago. A document dating from 851 already mentioned the Maldives and “some islands further away”. In 1502 Vasco da Gama, on his way to the indies, sighted some “exterior islands” which were called ‘the Amirantes’ in his honour, as he was the admiral of his fleet. Portuguese navigators thereafter only used the island to replenish their stocks. Their maps also mention “interior islands” which were named As Sete Irmas, The Seven Sisters. In 1609 a ship from the British East India Company was caught in a storm and anchored in front of Mahé. One of its passengers gave the first description, the Seychelles remained largely uninhabited until the 17th century. Commercial ships from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, or France frequently navigated across the Indian Ocean and so pirates became very interested in the area. Pirates and privateers set up bases on the islands. They seized shiploads of goods, precious stones, silver and gold. The Seychelles archipelago became the ideal place for them to anchor their ships and to hide their treasures. There’s a legend about the French corsair named La Buse whicht says that he hid his treasure somewhere in Mahé Island. Another legend says that another French corsair named Jean-François Hodoul buried his treasure in Silhouette Island. It is said that immense treasures are buried in Frégate Island: pirate tombs and lots of old coins were discovered there. The nearby Isle de France, nowadays named Mauritius, saw fast development under the management of its new governor, Mahé de La Bourdonnais. In 1742, he sent an expedition to the archipelago. Lazare Picaut, the captain of that expedition, set foot on an island, which he named île d’Abondance and is now called Mahé. A second expedition is organised in 1744 and Lazare Picault landed on the opposite coast, near the place where the town of Victoria is located. He renamed the archipelago the La Bourdonnais Islands and île d’Abondance was renamed Mahé. The next expedition was led by Corneille Nicolas Morphey in 1756. He erected a rock engraved with the coats of arms of the king of France on the coast near the town of Victoria. Morphey renamed the archipelago as the Seychelles, in honour of France’s minister of finance, Moreau de Séchelles. The start of a colony In 1768, Mahé and the islands “that can be seen and beyond” are declared French Colonies. An engineer, Brayer du Barré, gets the authorisation to start a colony on the island of Saint-Anne. 12 settlers, 8 african slaves and 5 Indians set foot on the island in 1770. Two years later, they go back to Mauritius, almost starving. Pierre Poivre, the new governor of Mauritius sets up a royal garden in Anse Royale in Mahé to acclimatize spice trees. The Bonaparte Exiles On the 24th of December 1800, the future French Emperor was the target of an attack in Paris on Saint-Nicaise Street. His minister of the Interior, Fouché, comes up with a list of suspects. They are deported to the faraway Seychelles. 130 Jacobins were thus forcefully embarked on La Flèche and La Chiffonne. Six months later, 32 more exiled arrived in Mahé, followed by about 30 more on the 3rd of September. Most of them would start a new life in the Seychelles. In 1803, a census would enumerate 215 white people, 1820 African slaves and 86 freed men. British Supremacy The old Ilse de france became a British colony and was named Mauritius. Its new governor, Robert Farquhar, soon sent a representative to the archipelago. Under pressure, the inhabitants of the Seychelles pledge allegiance to the British crown. In 1814, the Paris treaty made this situation official. Simultaneously, the fall in the price of cotton puts a dent in the local economy. The abolition of slavery which was voted in London in 1814, accentuates the Seychelles’ economic difficulties. Big landowners start cultivating coconut trees, which is less labour-intensive. They start producing coconut oil. Freed slaves, coming mainly from the British colonies of Africa, start arriving in the archipelago to be recruited in coconut plantations. The Seychelles prospers again, despite natural calamities like excessive rainfall and storms which caused a lot of damage. The Seychelles starts seeking its emancipation from Mauritian authorities. She will have to wait until 1903 to gain its status as an autonomous colony. A British Colony Sir Ernest Bickhame Sweet-Escott, the first British governor of the Seychelles decided to install a replica of the Big Ben tower in the centre of the capital of the Seychelles, Victoria. The First World War took a toll on the archipelago. By the end of the conflict, Mahé is equipped with electricity and the telephone. The 1929 financial crisis strikes the Seychelles just when it was beginning to recover. The economy of the Seychelles continues to stagnate during the Second World War. The archipelago becomes a backup supply base for the allies. Starting from 1944, London implements a series of reforms in education and public health. The people of the Seychelles are increasingly dissatisfied with the government and start talking about independence. Political parties are formed. In 1967, universal suffrage is introduced. Isle de France -Mauritius Isle de France (Île de France in modern French) was the name of the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius and its dependent territories between 1715 and 1810, when the area was under the French East India Company and part of France's empire. Under the French, the island witnessed major changes. The increasing importance of agriculture led to the importation of slaves and the undertaking of vast infrastructural works that transformed Port Louis into a major capital, port, warehousing, and commercial centre.1 During the Napoleonic wars, Île de France became a base from which the French navy, including squadrons under Rear Admiral2Linois or Commodore Jacques Hamelin, and corsairs such as Robert Surcouf, organised raids on British merchant ships.1 The raids (see Battle of Pulo Aura and Mauritius campaign of 1809–1811) continued until 1810 when the British sent a strong expedition to capture the island. The first British attempt, in August 1810, to attack Grand Port resulted in a French victory, one celebrated on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. A subsequent and much larger attack launched in December of the same year from Rodrigues, which had been captured a year earlier, was successful. The British landed in large numbers in the north of the island and rapidly overpowered the French, who capitulated (see Invasion of Isle de France). In the Treaty of Paris (1814), the French ceded Île de France together with its territories including the Chagos Archipelago, Rodrigues, Seychelles, Agaléga, Tromelin and Cargados Carajos to Great Britain. The island then reverted to its former name, 'Mauritius'. The French government turned over the administration of Mauritius to the French East India Company, but the island remained bereft of Europeans until 1721. Furthermore, until 1735, Île de France was administered from Île Bourbon, now known as Réunion.3 By 1726, the company had made land grants to colonists, soldiers and workers. The grants' covenants specified that recipients of the grants who could not cultivate their land for a period of 3 years would lose them. Each colonist was given 20 slaves and in return had to pay yearly one tenth of their production to the French East India Company. The attempt to develop agriculture resulted in an increasing demand for labour.3 According to Lougnon, 156 ships called at Mauritius between 1721 and 1735, prior to the arrival of Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais, most of them being Company ships. Slave traders brought a total of 650 slaves to Mauritius from Madagascar, Mozambique, India and West Africa.3 International trade, in particular long-distance trade, grew in the 18th century and by the 1780s, France was the largest trading maritime power in Europe. The total value of French long-distance trade with Africa, Asia, America and re-exports to the rest of Europe was £25 million, whereas Britain's trade amounted to only £20 million. This state of affairs explained the growing importance of Port Louis as a centre of entrepôt trade. Among the French colonists, the lure of easy money and the importance of commercial activities contributed to their lack of interest in agriculture. Slave trade, both legal and illegal, was an important aspect of the French international trade in the Indian Ocean. A class of traders and merchants developed and thrived.3 The Relevancy The Indian Ocean, Island like the West Indies had the same European approach to family connection, society, business, economy, religious, Justice practice, education which they brought with them from Europe as first settlers and founding fathers. Over the past 50 year the manner the thematic have been presented. Almost until Mauritius gained its Independence the fight to attain it independence 1968, its understanding and notion of democracy, Justice and Freedom - these two nations had a very close working - let alone the facts that be it in Mauritius, Seychelles, Reunion the extended families, connections, relatives inter marriage. Important example the issues of the Chagos Islands how they were managed by those Families and Company from Seychelles because of such understanding and practices. With Independence these would change. Travel between those Island nation curtailed, impeded prevented the relation to intensify until the arrival of the Airline and Airport, in spite of the undersea Cable system these were reserved for the elite and important institution of the respective nation. As such their politic and those who controlled them and their then media. The necessity to take due note, the impacts of British Colonial politics in these workings, influencing issues. In the early Seychelles politic aspiration for changes and emancipation 1950 -1960, those founding and early pioneers of our politic, they would often refer to events in Mauritius, how politic was being done there and those involved. They also took note of the politic, economy of the region be it Africa/East Africa, Asia, South Africa, Gulf region - India was not a political example of Seychelles pre independence, it did take note of events, development in North Africa and the Gulf region, beside Europe. What was of paramount importance was the Cold War relation of the West including NATO, France politic and the politic of the USSR, the Communist Block and its ideologies, practices, impacts and consequences The decolonisation process of Africa in particular. Early political movementsedit By the end of the World War I, the population of Seychelles was 24,000, and they were feeling somewhat neglected by Whitehall. There was agitation from the newly formed Planters Association for greater representation in the governance of Seychelles affairs. After 1929 a more liberal flow of funds was ensured by the Colonial Development Act, but it was a time of economic depression; the price of copra was falling and so were wages. Workers petitioned the government about their poor working conditions and the burden of tax they had to bear. Governor Sir Arthur Grimble instigated some reforms, exempting lower income groups from taxation, He was keen to create model housing and distribute smallholdings for the landless. Sadly, many of this reforms were not approved until World War II had broken out, and everything was put on hold. The Planters Association lobbied for the rich white land owners, but until 1937 those who worked for them had no voice. The League of Coloured Peoples was formed to demand a minimum wage, a wage tribunal and free health care for all. The first political party, the Taxpayers Association, was formed in 1939. A British governor described it as "the embodiment of every reactionary force in Seychelles", and it was entirely concerned with protecting the interests of the plantocracy. After the war, they also benefited by being granted the vote, which was limited to literate property owners; just 2,000 in a population of 36,000. At the first elections in 1948, most of those elected to the Legislative Council were predictably members of the Planters and Taxpayers Association. 1964-1976edit It was not until 1964 that any new political movements were created. In that year, the Seychelles People's United Party (SPUP) was formed. Led by France Albert Rene, they campaigned for independence from Britain. James Mancham's Seychelles Democratic Party (DP), created the same year, by contrast wanted closer integration with Britain. Britain was cool on the idea of integration, while opinion in Seychelles appeared to be split. At the first election under universal adult suffrage each party gained three seats with Mancham claiming victory through the support of an independent. Under the new constitution, Mancham became the Chief Minister of the colony. Subsequent elections in 1970 and 1974 gave Mancham a small majority in votes, but a large one in seats, through the "first past the post" voting system. At the April 1974 elections, the DP increased its majority in the Legislative Assembly by three seats, gaining all but two of the fifteen seats with only 52% of the popular vote. Meanwhile, Britain's lack of enthusiasm for integration convinced Mancham to join Rene in calling for independence. The DP and SPUP formed a coalition government in June 1975 to lead Seychelles to independence. The British Government was asked to appoint an electoral review commission so that divergent views on the electoral system and composition of the legislature could be reconciled. As a result, ten seats were added to the Legislative Assembly, five to be nominated by each party. A cabinet of ministers also was formed consisting of eight members of the DP and four of the SPUP, with Chief Minister Mancham becoming Prime Minister. With independence on 29 June 1976, Mancham assumed the office of president and René became Prime Minister. What many who edit and write about the history of Seychelles refuse and have failed to write those who had wanted a unilateral Independence for Seychelles and the big why. In writing that historic SIROP program the need to take note of those political events, forgotten, buried, censored and process which both leading political parties, Leadership refused to address the world and the public for their own sake and reasons. One year later after its Independence, the much acclaimed economic, social, education , democratic, long term development plans for the Island nation - the coup d'etat of 5th June 1977, which would change all these and Seychelles nation working for ever in spite of that Historic SIROP program 1986/87. In Mauritian the important political process and the coming to Powers of the former workers, slaves the planters had introduced to build the Sugar and Agriculture Industry/Economy of Mauritius. The new politicians of Mauritius. Again those who write the history of Seychelles an Mauritius the need to note some of the statistics, until Independence, Seychelles those families of none white decent their numbers and very important the Chagos/Island workers recruited from Seychelles to go and work on those Islands, their lives, social status, family situation, politic. How they influenced and impacted Seychelles economy and society, then 1976/77. History 1977-1992edit Less than one year after independence, on 5 June 1977, with James Mancham in London to attend the Commonwealth Conference, a small group of Rene's supporters and Tanzanian soldiers staged a coup and installed Rene as President. New elections were called in 1979 with Rene against barrister Robert Frichot. A one-party socialist state was established. Mancham was to remain in exile for 15 years. On 25 November 1981 a force of mercenaries led by "Mad" Mike Hoare attempted to take over the islands, but were discovered at the airport. They briefly took over the tower, but hijacked an Air India flight and fled to South Africa where they were arrested and charged. In August 1982, mutineers in the Seychelles Army, maintaining loyalty to Rene but in revolt against alleged conditions in the service, took over the radio station. They were overcome by Tanzanian troops, whose intervention was requested by Rene. In November 1985, Gérard Hoarau, a prominent exiled opponent of Rene was shot and killed by an unidentified gunman on the doorstep of his London home. Hoareau's supporters claimed the Seychelles Government was responsible for the shooting but this was denied and the murder case never solved. However, for the most part Rene ruled throughout this period with underground opposition at home. He was elected unopposed at further elections in 1983 and 1987. Rene used Seychelles' strategic importance to obtain significant help from both superpowers of the period without having to commit himself to either. With a suppressed opposition, he was able to power through much needed social reforms. In February 1992, Conrad Greslé, a prominent local businessman and democracy activist was arrested and charged with treason for planning to overthrow the Seychelles Government with the help of foreign mercenaries and with alleged CIA involvement. This was the last attempt to overthrow the Seychelles Government by force. Meanwhile one third of the population had fled in exile or forces in exile, the terrible benchmark of the UN/UNHCR in their reporting, along many other international organisation accomplice, including the Commonwealth - some estimated 25,000 had gone in exile become refugees. In Mauritius the respective position. Mauritius - Seychelles bilateral relation 1977 to 1986 We lack the human resource to do proper research in spite of that SIROP program important role in giving the world the WWW. We have found this article/book written by World Bank and UN experts on Seychelles, the Indian ocean, reference page 1- 10, to note the UN/World Bank economic view of the world the mega banking/financial corruption the many very big financial institutions which went bust and the core of the problem how the UN and world Bank view the issues. Those who had ruthless abused and manipulated that SIROP program the wars and conflicts again UN reporting. Again this publication by UNRISD-Commonwealth Secretariat Foreign relations of Seychelles Seychelles follows a policy of what it describes as "positive" nonalignment and strongly supports the principle of reduced superpower presence in the Indian Ocean. The Seychelles government is one of the proponents of the Indian Ocean zone of peace concept and it has promoted an end to the United States presence on Diego Garcia. The country has adopted a pragmatic policy, however, and serves as an important rest and recreation stop for US ships serving in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. Seychelles' foreign policy position has placed it generally toward the left of the spectrum within the Non-Aligned Movement. Russia, the United Kingdom, France, India, the People's Republic of China, Libya and Cuba maintain embassies in Victoria. Foreign relations of Mauritius Mauritius has strong and friendly relations with the West, as well as with South Asian countries and the countries of southern and eastern Africa. It is a member of the World Trade Organization, the Commonwealth of Nations, La Francophonie, the African Union, the Southern Africa Development Community, the Indian Ocean Commission, COMESA, and the recently formed Indian Ocean Rim Association. Her Majesty Elizabeth II was the head of state of Mauritius.